The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lagerstroemia plant, botanically known as Lagerstroemia hybrid×L. ‘Chocolate Mocha’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,540), commonly known as crapemyrtle, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘PIILAG-VIII’. ‘PIILAG-VIII’ is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use.
‘PIILAG-VIII’ originated from open-pollinated seed of Lagerstroemia hybrid×L. ‘Chocolate Mocha’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,540) growing in Watkinsville, Ga. The cultivar ‘PIILAG-VIII’ originated in 2010 and was selected in a cultivated environment in Watkinsville, Ga. from the progeny of this open-pollination by continued evaluation for growth habit, foliage, flower, disease, and cold hardiness characteristics.
Asexual reproduction of ‘PIILAG-VIII’ by stem cuttings in Watkinsville, Ga. since 2011 has shown that all the unique features of this new Lagerstroemia, as herein described, are stable and reproduced true-to-type through successive generations of such asexual propagation.